Have there been moments when you felt stuck and didn’t know how to move forward with your life? Sometimes you need someone who can hold space for you and guide you through life’s challenges – and a life coach can help you make the changes you need so you can live life in a way that’s authentic to you. Kimi Lu is a life and corporate coach who has been conducting private sessions and mindfulness workshops for the past 10 years. Trained at the Bennet Stellar University, she is a licensed Certified Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Neuro-Linguistic Hypnotherapy Life Coach, and Reiki Master Practitioner who has built a growing community of positively-charged beings she calls #protons.

Here, she tells us what inspired her desire to become a life coach, her book on self-love and her newest program designed to boost your confidence.

What sparked your interest in pursuing life coaching? Was there a life-changing moment that inspired it?

"I felt lost. In the middle of my regular work day, I found myself crying out of nowhere. Tears were just falling from my eyes. I couldn’t understand why and that made me reflect a lot about what was happening in my life. I felt empty inside. I didn’t think I had to see a doctor for it but I knew I had to talk to someone about it. I searched online for a life coach in the Philippines and couldn’t find one – and I had a crazy idea of becoming one because I knew that one day, someone else will feel the same way I did and they would need someone to talk to! This year is my 10th year of coaching people and helping them navigate through life's challenges."

"I got two strange looks each time I told people I was a life coach. I started in 2010 when life coaches were not popular at all and social media was not a coined word yet. So the first look they’d give me was a really confused look —- “huh, what’s that?” and the second look was —- “huh, how can you be a life coach, you’re so young?” I had to deal with those looks while trying to remain positive and build my self-esteem to hold on to my mission of helping people find their way through life."

"My first client was a dermatologist. We would meet at his house or at his clinic then I would meet other clients at the mall. That first client eventually offered me his spare clinic in Medical Plaza in Makati – I stayed there for 2 years. 50% of my clients in my first 3 years of practice were expats because I guess they were the ones familiar and open to seeking for help. Then after a while, there were more Filipinos coming to me and are more open to receiving guidance."

"I started with just face-to-face, one-on-one coaching. I thought that was all I was going to do in this career. Then I started doing small groups and eventually I expanded to Corporate Wellness or Essential Skills coaching. Currently, I also do global workshops and online coaching. I swear, the Universe is abundant that way! So many possibilities if we just think outside the box!"

Kimi conducts her one-on-one sessions at the Protons HQ in Makati

"Having my own space for my practice has also helped me immensely. I’ve lived in my Makati condo since I was 12 years old. When my parents moved to their home in Batangas and my brother got his own place, I decided to stay there and transformed it to what I call now as the #ProtonsHQ where I hold all my sessions."

How did your book “Masturdating” come about?

"It is an intentional guidebook to celebrate life. There are exercises inside, which will help people realize how wonderful life is and how much love they should be giving themselves before anyone else. The challenges in the book is a compilation of the top 29 challenges from my online program series for 5 years."

Kimi's book "Masturdating" is all about self-love and is available on Amazon

"Everyone was shocked when I announced that I was launching a book because I’m not a writer but I’m a big fan of experiential learning and that’s what the book really is. It is for you to experience little life boosts so that it may spark happiness inside of you!"

What do you love most about being a life coach?

"Just seeing the spark in people’s eyes when they have an “aha!” moment or they feel good and see a glimmer of hope. It is a very fulfilling job and I am obsessed about it. I am addicted to teaching people how to love themselves authentically and deeply."

One of Kimi's healing modalities is reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing through the laying of hands. On Kimi: Calla heart lariat and Yani Afghan bead necklace

What’s next for you?

"I developed the #ConfidenceBoostProgram last year for one-on-one sessions. I’ve seen how the program’s graduates have progressed and taken huge leaps in just 4 weeks and I wanted more people to experience this! I came up with my first public workshop for the year, the #ConfidenceBoostProgram workshop."

"I’ve been talking about setting an intention for the year because being intentional about your goals will help you gain direction and clarity – and this experiential workshop can help amplify that through active and guided meditations and exercises that can help you re-discover yourself. I have 3 special guests who will share their beautiful energy and gifts to empower and inspire all the attendees – it’s going to be a supercharged session full of positivity! I also have slots open for premium one-on-one sessions for those who prefer private coaching and who want to go deeper into their self-discovery journey."

"I’m also boosting my Essential Skills training programs to make sure that more and more people learn to love their jobs, the people they’re working with and for, the clients and suppliers that they have. I want people to wake up on Monday mornings and be happy to work and make an impact in their own way!"